This is the launch of my new weekly political picast and I wanted to take the time to explain the why and who of it all.
You might remember me from the award winning political podcast, ‘The Working Group’, which had a 5 year run and was gloriously fun.
However, that show ended last month in a supernova of drama drama after my free speech traumatized right wing free speech champions.
Comrades, after watching the Libertarian you spent 5 years working with burn your collective work down in a Viking funeral that only he’s invited himself to, an odd thing occurred.
I felt a fire in my belly.
At first I thought it was an ulcer or a stroke, but as the weeks have passed, I have felt a growing anger that I’ve spent so long creating a space to debate with the Right when they never intended to debate at all.
It was most apparent to me with the Treaty Principles Referendum select committee.
The Right didn’t want a debate over the Treaty Principles Referendum, they wanted the pretence of a debate so they could hold that engagement up and masquerade it as legitimacy.
I am sick of having a debate with the bad faith Right and want to lead a new Political Podcast that is unashamedly Left and wanting to ask the hard questions about the issues and take the debate to the Right rather than allow them a faux engagement.
Which is why I have launched The Bradbury Group with a nod towards the great panel shows of old like The Ralston Group and The Mclaughlin Group.
And who hell am I ?
I’m Martyn ‘Bomber’ Bradbury
I have been in the media political game for 33 years.
I have been behind some of the biggest political stories in this country.
I have led mass protest movements against the power of the state.
and I have set up left wing political parties, been a consultant to the political left and I have taken the Police to court for breaching my civil rights.
I’m a Gen X solo dad who lives in a wee apartment with my daughter – who is the apple of my eye.
I like my panthers black, my weather underground and my flagpoles Hone Hecke’d
If you need to put me in a box, I’m a Post-marxist eco socialist, with violent environmental tendencies.
Comrades, my fellow country men, country women and country they/thems
I don’t speak for corporations, or the polluters or the powerful
I’ve spent my entire life speaking for us, the 90% who don’t have the wealth.
I’m old enough to have seen the impact of privatization back in the 80s, I know it smashes our communities, our whanau, our friends far harder than it ever hits the rich pricks pushing that privatization agenda.
Comrades, your enemy isn’t some kid transitioning, it’s not a Māori woman in politics, Māori women in media, Māori women outside walking (we really do have a problem with giving our Māori women comrades crap)
Your enemy isn’t drag queen story time, it’s not environmentalists, it’s not beneficiaries, it’s not state tenants, it’s not renters, it’s not the Treaty.
Your enemy is who it’s always been, the banks, the billionaires, the corporations, the powerful who use social media hate algorithms to warp you into believing their interests are your interests when nothing can be further from the truth!
8pm, Tuesday nights, The Bradbury Group is where we are going to church brothers and sisters.
I will challenge the political establishment every week and demand your interests, as the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, are put before fear, anger and down right stupidity.
We should not accept the common good being strangled by deregulation for donors’ interests.
We need to be kinder to individuals and far crueller to corporations.
In solidarity – the revolution continues
Kia Ora Aoteroa.
Great show Martyn although Hooten’s idea of wanting more cuts to boost the economy is bizarre particularly with the unemployment rate hitting 5 % and Nationals low wage economy. No wonder this government has failed.
Bomber
Haka. Not Haarka.
Otherwise good show
Excellent inaugural show last night, e hoa. Loved it.
This kind of grownup conversation somewhat restores my faith in humanity.
Aroha nui.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/deputy-prime-minister-winston-peters-says-he-wont-feel-bad-if-wellington-railway-station-heckler-from-tonkin-taylor-loses-job/473C5UAOF5AVFNLX33HKIVBF7A/
It’s only free speech if the right says it’s so
Feedback
It was good Hipkins fronted. But agree with Hooton. Hipkins was disappointing.
You need to try and get Hipkins (and your other main guests going forward) on the show for longer next time.
Giving you the opportunity to ask them more questions – thus giving viewers far more insight
Furthermore, harder questions and more follow up questions would have made for a better, more informative interview.
Agreed. Ten minutes is far too short.
Stretch them!
Can’t have it both ways
Hipkins (to some degree) was hiding behind the notion that policy was still being considered.
Yet, back in April, the Party claimed they were ready to go. Talking up the potential for a snap election.
Re housing
Relocatable houses and surplus land (Crown, Council and Iwi) should be far more utilised
I still reckon this could be called the “The Bradbury Bunch”.
Probably best to check with the legal team first…
This is a tremendous forum thankyou Martyn.
Criag Rennie was a standout.
It is good to have this to look forward to weekly